Red Bamboo in Manhattan, NYC
“Red Bamboo is located between Manhattan’s West Village and NoHo, just steps from Washington Square Park. A Greenwich Village staple for more than two decades, this vegan comfort food destination is known for its ability to veganize classic dishes from various cuisines. The menu features everything from Asian fusion and Southern comfort food to Italian pastas, sandwiches, and desserts.” [Archived]
Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan, NYC
As a three-Michelin-starred world-renowned restaurant, Eleven Madison Park (EMP) offers plant-based creations during each service in Manhattan, NYC. EMP frequently plans and executes specialty pop-ups and collaborative culinary events. Well-known for nearly twenty years of award-winning service and dining, “in 2022 Eleven Madison Park became the first restaurant in the world to earn three Michelin stars for an entirely plant-based menu,” says Daniel Humm, the restaurant’s executive chef and owner. Eleven Madison Park has earned an official “TVD Recommendation” status and is also rated as “Exceptional” within the “TVD Culinary Innovators” watchlist.
Anixi in Manhattan, NYC
Anixi is a favorite of The Vegan Digest and is one of the most unique concepts in vegan dining. As a fine-dining vegan restaurant located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, this Mediterranean brasserie features vibrant flavors from Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. Guy Vaknin, chef and owner, “journeys close to home with this concept, finding inspiration from ingredients and the culture of the region.”
Willow in Manhattan, NYC
Willow is a cozy restaurant with a five-seat bar in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The venue offers an American-style bistro menu and is an excellent space for weekday lunch meetings or brunch dates on the weekends. Willow is also great for a solo date with casual reading or work to accompany you. Guy Vaknin, chef and owner, opened this dining establishment as part of his many City Roots Hospitality restaurants in New York City. These include Beyond Sushi, Coletta, Anixi, and more.
Coletta in Manhattan, NYC
Coletta is a premier destination for upscale plant-based Italian dining located between Manhattan’s Kips Bay and Gramercy neighborhoods. As part of the City Roots Hospitality group helmed by executive chef Guy Vaknin, the restaurant is entirely vegan and kosher-certified. The menu reimagines classic Italian comfort food with a focus on fresh, handmade ingredients and innovative plant-based techniques. Expect a delightful blend of flavors within the Italian cuisine concept that showcases City Roots Hospitality’s immense talents.
abcV in Manhattan, NYC
abcV is a plant-forward upscale restaurant in Manhattan’s Flatiron District neighborhood of NYC. Founded by world-renowned chef Jean-Georges and helmed by executive chef Neal Harden, the restaurant is dedicated to a “food-as-medicine” philosophy, utilizing organic and sustainable ingredients primarily sourced from the nearby Union Square Greenmarket. The menu is almost entirely vegan or easily adapted, featuring creative staples like whole roasted cauliflower with turmeric-tahini, green chickpea hummus, and innovative dosas. The space is breathtaking, accommodating large dining parties while also offering intimate private dining areas. abcV has established an impressively unique and creative beverage program. The venue continues to be a pillar of New York’s innovative plant-based dining scene.
PLANTA & PLANTA Queen in NYC
PLANTA, PLANTA Queen, and their many varied concepts have long been favorites of The Vegan Digest. The restaurant group offers chef-crafted, balanced, and delicious signature dishes as well as many traditional classics from varied cuisines. Review the restaurant group’s various locations at its website, linked below for your perusal. The restaurant group was named TVD’s #1 Market Presence Favorite in 2023.
Le Botaniste in Manhattan, NYC
Le Botaniste is a health-conscious, delicious, fresh food, fully vegan, quick-service restaurant concept. Personnel at Le Botaniste, or “botanists,” serve you from a readily observable hot bar of prepared main and side dishes. The concept offers a mature feel with a very casual, very relaxed environment that allows for those of legal age to enjoy their selection of natural wines. Le Botaniste has many locations in Manhattan and also has a presence in Brussels and Ghent, Belgium, where the concept was conceived.
Soda Club in Manhattan, NYC
Soda Club is located in the East Village along with many popular Overthrow Hospitality restaurant and bar venue concepts. Overthrow is described as an award-winning vegan hospitality group from James Beard-nominated Ravi Derossi. Currently, other longstanding concepts include their Third Kingdom restaurant, Ladybird restaurant, Proletariat craft beer bar, and more. Soda Club is “Overthrow Hospitality’s Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded natural wine bar.” Soda Club informs us that “Chef Pedro Allende’s menu centers around fresh handmade pasta,” pizzas, salads, and more. Soda Club offers Roman-style pizzas by Chef Juan Pajarito described as “crisp-edged, cloud-like pies made with long-fermented dough and rice flour.” As with many beverage-only and spirits-oriented concepts on Overthrow Hospitality’s slate of venues, Soda Club offers curated lists of wines, cocktails, and other alcoholic beverages. TVD is yet to visit Soda Club and so, if you do visit, let us know how you enjoyed Soda Club!
Jajaja Mexicana in NYC
Jajaja Mexicana has several locations across NYC and seeks to offer authentic Mexican food with a chef-crafted natural, plant-based approach. Jajaja works well to ensure a welcoming atmosphere that’s great for casual meetups, and it typically has a bar area that offers classic cocktails, margaritas, and more. Jajaja Mexicana menu items are Mexican fare, if animal-based products were never part of the history of Mexican cuisine. Some of their signature plates substitute meats for other whole-food ingredients, at times transforming the dish, while many of their creations are naturally vegan and traditional. Some dishes that aren’t naturally vegan are kept closer to the authentic and traditional side with brand-name plant-based meats.
Jerrell’s in NYC & North Jersey
Jerrell’s BETR BRGR is a scalable quick-service restaurant concept with a presence in both the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, NYC and in the Jersey City neighborhood of North Jersey. Jerrell’s BETR BRGR offers delicious classic-style burgers, fries, and shakes. This well-known brand in the NYC vegan community has conducted its many operating years in both New York and New Jersey, offering a consistent menu that’s proven to be customer-satisfying. Jerrell’s is also rated as “Authentic” within the “TVD Culinary Innovators” watchlist.
Vegan On The Fly in Manhattan, NYC
Vegan On The Fly (VOTF) offers a unique and established concept that’s proven in the US as well as in Europe. Their delicious halal-style Mediterranean eats along with crave-worthy American classics such as sandwiches, entrees, and desserts, offer a balanced menu to New Yorkers. In addition to their restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, VOTF serves customers in and beyond New York City with additional customer-facing platforms that included a food truck. As an investor-ready concept with scalable operational build-outs, VOTF is also rated as ‘”Authentic” within the “TVD Culinary Innovators” watchlist.
HAAM Caribbean in Brooklyn, NYC
HAAM (Healthy As A Motha) is an upscale plant-based restaurant located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The establishment’s concept is a modern Caribbean plant cuisine. Founded by Chef Yesenia Ramdass, who first launched the brand in 2021, the current venue opened in 2023 and has quickly earned recognition for its refined approach to island flavors. The menu draws from Chef Ramdass’s Dominican heritage and broader Caribbean influences, featuring chef-crafted dishes such as empanadas, yuca fries, ‘ceviche palmito,’ curry wontons, ‘mofonguito,’ plantain pockets, ‘island onigiri,’ curry chickpeas, ‘motha earth salad bowl,’ jerk jackfruit, Guava BBQ Mushroom Sliders, jerk salmon fettuccini, steak & rice, curry goat & roti, oxtail rice & peas, ‘motha’s mofongo,’ beverages, and more. With a stylish, light-filled dining room and a vibrant bar program featuring tropical cocktails and mocktails, HAAM offers a sophisticated yet welcoming experience that celebrates the diversity of Caribbean culture through a fully vegan lens. TVD has yet to visit, and so, if you do visit, let us know how you enjoyed the experience!
Next Stop Vegan in Brooklyn, NYC
Next Stop Vegan (NSV) is a premier plant-based destination located in Downtown Brooklyn (Brooklyn Heights) that specializes in bold Dominican and Caribbean-inspired comfort food. Founded in 2017 by Bronx native Blenlly Mena, the restaurant began its journey in the Bronx. The larger brand has operated multiple venues and brands in Brooklyn, showcasing different concepts. The Brooklyn menu is celebrated for its flavorful reinterpretations of traditional Latin classics, including Churrasco Mofongo, La Bandera, Sancocho, and artisanal empanadas. Known for its vibrant atmosphere and authentic “Dominican twist,” Next Stop Vegan is a community-favorite hub for inclusive, high-energy plant-based gastronomy.
Spicy Moon in Manhattan, NYC
Spicy Moon is a high-energy, plant-based Szechuan institution with a multi-location presence in Manhattan, New York City. The brand proves that traditional Szechuan spices need no animal products to be crave-worthy. The menu features a robust selection of chef-crafted menu items such as spring rolls, calamari, ‘crabless rangoon,’ dumplings, bao buns, soups, noodles, ramen, scallion pancakes, desserts, beverages, and more. TVD has yet to visit, and so, if you do visit, let us know how you enjoyed the experience!
Délice & Sarrasin in Manhattan, NYC
Délice & Sarrasin is a family-run vegan French bistro nestled in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Helmed by executive chef Yvette Caron, the restaurant offers an immersive plant-based journey through the rich heritage of French gastronomy. Choose from a menu that features boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, escargot, truffle fries, desserts, wines, and more. The intimate Parisian-inspired space is complete with antique furniture and provides a romantic setting. Consider a visit to the brand’s in-house gourmet bakery that offers freshly baked confections such as croissants, rolls, cakes, and more. TVD has yet to visit, and so, if you do visit, let us know how you enjoyed the experience!
PLNT Burger in Manhattan, NYC
PLNT Burger, pronounced ‘Plant’ Burger, is an extensive slate of quick-service and dine-in ‘burger joint’ style restaurants. With locations in DC, VA, MD, PA, MA, and NY, the founders and operators of PLNT Burger have created a fun brand with a ‘quality of ingredients’ appeal. Management’s experience and expertise in building brands and scaling operations allow for promotional activities such as gameday deals, season-long promotions, and other customer-centric activities. Their restaurant build-outs compete with traditional fast-casual restaurant venues and are either standalone venues, storefronts within shopping plazas, or nestled within Whole Foods Markets. Expect delicious menu items such as cheeseburgers, chick’n sandwiches, chick’n nuggets, fries, milkshakes, and more entirely vegan options. TVD has yet to visit PLNT Burger, and so, if you do visit, let us know how you enjoyed the experience!
Greens and Grains, New Jersey
Plant-based sandwiches, hoagies, wraps, pitas, salads, chili stews, chick’n tenders, fries, warm bowls, fruit bowls, smoothies, cold-pressed juices, cakes, cookies, and more! Greens and Grains has established a “chain of vegan, plant-based restaurants serving New Jersey and Pennsylvania in Atlantic County NJ, Monmouth County NJ, Cape May County NJ, Gloucester County NJ, Camden County NJ, Philadelphia PA,” and growing beyond. TVD is yet to visit and so, if you do visit, let us know how you enjoyed Greens and Grains!
